Condemnation of imperialism in Heart of Darkness Although Conrad did not learn English until the age of twenty-one, he still mastered the language and used it artfully in Heart of Darkness. One of his sentences is particularly striking, because it summarizes the views he condemns throughout the short story. The accountant, one of the first imperialists that Marlow meets, tells him: “When we have to make correct entries, we come to hate these savages, to hate them to the death” (Conrad). This sentence is a perfect example of the typical imperialist belief that Marlow denounces and serves as a synecdoche for the entire work. An important characteristic of the imperialist belief is the impersonality that makes imperialism happen. The repetition of the word “one” is significant because it shows this detachment. The imperialists attempt to assuage their consciences by making the natives less than human. Both Marlow and Kurtz are exceptions to this ideal, but in contrasting ways. Kurtz uses fear to demean the natives, but does not take away their humanity. Marlow, however, considers t...